Wilma F. Lamka dies at 96

Funeral services will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017 at Hillcrest Baptist and Brethren Church in Fredericksburg, with Pastor Todd Yeaton officiating. Burial will be held at Rosehill Cemetery in Fredericksburg.

Visitation will be from 11a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the church on Saturday November 18, 2017. Online condolences for Wilma’s family may be left at www.conway-markhamfh.com. Memorials may be directed to the family.

Wilma Frances was born September 10, 1921 at Williamstown, the daughter of William and Marie (Kolthoff) Averhoff. She moved from south of Williamstown to rural New Hampton when she started New Hampton Public Schools. When in third grade, Wilma’s family moved to Nashua where she attended and was a 1940 graduate. After graduation, she attended Upper Iowa University at Fayette. Wilma taught rural schools in Chickasaw and Floyd Counties for seven years.

Wilma was united in marriage to Clarence Lloyd Lamka on August 24, 1947 at the Congregational Church in Nashua. The couple moved east of New Hampton to their 22 acre farm where their three children, David, Randy and Connie were born. Wilma was a fulltime homemaker and Clarence worked as an electrician and truck driver. They moved south of Williamstown in 1955 to Clarence’s grandparent’s farm, then to the Lamka family farm in 1960. Wilma was a member of Hillcrest Baptist and Brethren Church, where she was Historian for many years. She has a gift for writing which included autobiographies about her and Clarence, as well as receiving the Iowa State Award for a piece she had written about the Nursing Home. She enjoyed gardening, making rolls for church suppers and taking care of her chickens. Throughout her life, Wilma especially enjoyed being the “hostess” of the family and servered several family holidays. When people thought of Wilma, the memories are of her passion for cooking large meals and having her family together. Even though her house was small, her meals were always big, and she put an incredible amount love and thought into them, not to mention, pride.

Left to cherish Wilma’s memories are her children; David (Judy) Lamka of Marion, Randy Lamka of New Hampton and Connie Lamka of St. Louis, Mo.; two grandchildren, Jeffrey (Erin) Lamka and Nicolas Lamka, both of Cedar Rapids; three great-grandchildren, Peyton, Carter and Cole and numerous neices and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Clarence; one sister, Vida Wheelock.